Apparatus for testing pressure resistance of containers

ABSTRACT

An apparatus comprising drive means for bringing a great number of pressure resistance testing heads successively at equal spacing to a testing station at a speed equal to the speed of travel of containers to be tested, feed means for sending the containers to the testing station at the same spacing as the testing heads, means for inserting nozzles of the testing heads into the containers respectively at the testing station, pressure fluid supply means for supplying a low pressure fluid through the testing heads into the containers and subsequently supplying high pressure fluid into the containers, means for causing the testing heads to seal the mouths of the containers and chuck the containers immediately before the supply of the high pressure fluid, means for permitting the testing heads to hold the containers in suspension during the supply of the high pressure fluid, and means for freeing the containers from the chucking and discharging the same at the terminal end of the testing station after testing.

. United States Patent [191 Yasuhiro in] 3,826,126 [451 July 30, 1974 1APPARATUS FOR TESTING PRESSURE RESISTANCE OF CONTAINERS [75] Inventor:Tomita Yasuhiro, Nishinomiya,

Japan [22] Filed: Oct. 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 301,508

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 22, 1971 Japan 46-104984[52] 1.1.8. C1 73/37, 73/45.l, 209/73 [51] Int. Cl. G0lm 3/02 [58] Fieldof Search 73/37, 41, 45, 45.1, 45.2; 209/73, 75

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,314,310 3/1943 Jackson eta1. 73/37 2,606,657 8/1952 Berthelsen 73/45.1 X 2,689,475 9/1954 Blanton73/37 3,010,310 11/1961 Rowc 73/45 3,489,275 1/1970 Powers, Jr. 73/37 X3,650,146 3/1972 Babunovic.; 73/37 3,704,623 12/1972 Kulig 73/37 FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLlCATIONS 695,547 12/1930 France 73/37 121,960 10/1958U.S.S.R 73/37 Primary Examiner-Richard C. Queisser AssistantExaminer.loseph W. Roskos Attorney, Agent, or FirmHolman & Stern [5 7]ABSTRACT An apparatus comprising drive means for bringing a great numberof pressure resistance testing heads successively at equal spacing to atesting station at a speed equal to the speed of travel of containers tobe tested, feed means for sending the containers to the testing stationat the same spacing as the testing heads, means for inserting nozzles ofthe testing heads into the containers respectively at the testingstation, pressure fluid supply means for supplying a low pressure fluidthrough the testing heads into the containers and subsequently supplyinghigh pressure fluid into the containers, means for causing the testingheads to seal the mouths of the containers and chuck the containersimmediately before the supply of the high pressure fluid, means forpermitting the testing heads to hold the containers in suspension duringthe supply of the high pressure fluid, and means for freeing thecontainers from the chucking and discharging the same at the terminalend of the testing station after testing.

4 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PAIENIEB JULB 01974 SHEET 2 BF 5 PATENTED Miwmzs sum 3 or 5 PATENTEDJMOIQH 3.826.126

SHEET l UF 5 APPARATUS FOR TESTING PRESSURE RESISTANCE OF CONTAINERSBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to anapparatus for testing pressure resistance of pressure resistant glassbottles for containing carbonated drinks and other pressure resistantcontainers of various types.

All pressure resistant containers, especially those collected after use,have to be subjected to severe pressure resistance test, which isgenerally conducted by injecting pressure fluid (usually high pressurewater) into the containers.

Such pressure resistance test has heretofore been conducted by pressingthe heads of resistance testing means against the mouths of containerssuch as glass bottles placed on a testing table to seal the bottlemouths with the testing heads by the pressing force and I introducinghigh pressure water into the containers through the testing heads.

According to this method, however, the containers on the testing tableare subjected to the pressing force exerted thereon by the testing headsto seal the containers, so that during testing the bursting of acontainer due to the internal pressure of the high pressure water plusthe aforementioned pressing force occurs under external conditionsdifferent from those under which a container filled with a carbonateddrink or the like bursts while being left standing. Thus theconventional method fails to achieve proper testing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide anapparatus for testing the pressure resistance of pressure resistantcontainers such as bottles which is capable of applying a fluid pressureto the containers under exactly the same conditions as when a containerwill be burst only by an increased internal pressure acting thereon, soas to assure proper pressure resistance test.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus for testingthe pressure resistance of pressure resistant containers such as bottlesin a full automatic operation.

Another object of this invention is to provide an apparatus by which thepressure resistance of all of a great number of pressure resistantcontainers can be tested efficiently.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an automaticpressure resistance testing apparatus which can be incorporated in theline of automatic washing and automatic filling operations for pressureresistant containers such as bottles.

According to this invention, a high pressure fluid (usually highpressure water) for testing pressure resistance is supplied tocontainers to be tested as they are chucked by pressure resistancetesting heads in suspension. The testing heads chuck the mouths of thecontainers to be tested and seal the mouths watertightly or hermeticallywhen the containers are in the suspended position.

The containers to be tested are therefore subjected only to the internalpressure of the high pressure fluid therein for the testing of pressureresistance. The conditions involved are equivalent to those under whichcontainers filled with a carbonated drink or the like and left to standin natural environment are subjected to an increased internal pressure.

The apparatus of this invention comprises drive means for bringing agreat number of pressure resistance testing heads successively at equalspacing to a testing station at a speed equal to the speed of travel ofcontainers to be tested, feed means for sending the containers to thetesting station at the same spacing as the testing heads, means forinserting nozzles of the testing heads into the containers respectivelyat the testing station, pressure fluid supply means for supplying a lowpressure fluid through the testing heads into the containers andsubsequently supplying a high pressure fluid into the containers, meansfor causing the testing heads to seal the mouths of the containers andchuck the containers immediately before the supply of the high pressurefluid, means for permitting the testing heads to hold the containers insuspension during the supply of the high pressure fluid, and means forfreeing the containers from the chucking and discharging the same at theterminal end of the testing station after testing.

The drive means for the pressure resistance testing heads compriseschain conveyors or the like fixedly carrying a great number of testingheads atequal spacing. The feed means for feeding the containers to betested comprises the combination of a belt conveyor extending forexample from an uncasing station to a position in the testing stationwhere the supply of high pressure water is initiated and adapted to bedriven at a speed equal to that of the chain conveyors while carryingthe containers thereon and a screw conveyor for aligning the containersat the same spacing as the testing heads. Extending along the path ofmovement of the testing heads are guide rails for inserting the nozzlesof the testing heads into the mouths of the containers sent to thetesting station and withdrawing the nozzles therefrom at the terminalend of the testing station, guide rails for pressing the testing headsagainst the mouths of the containers in watertight sealing contacttherewith at the position where supply of high pressure water isinitiated, and guide rails in contact with chucking arm actuatingmembers on the testing heads for causing chucking arms on the testingheads to chuck the mouths of the containers at the same position so asto maintain the sealing contact and for freeing the bottles from thechucking at the terminal end of the testing station.

The pressure fluid supply means comprises the aforementioned nozzles, asource for supplying the low pressure fluid, another source forsupplying the high pressure fluid and a changeover valve for supplyingthe low pressure fluid and then high pressure fluid to the nozzles. Thechangeover valve is a rotary valve which is driven in operative relationto the chain conveyors to perform its changing-over operationautomatically.

The containers chucked by the testing heads are held by the heads insuspension upon reaching the high pressure water supply initiatingposition where the belt conveyor serving as the feed means terminates.

At the position where the pressure resistance test is completed, thereis disposed another belt conveyor serving as discharge means, whichreceives the containers from the testing heads after testing and sendsout the same from the testing station. The discharge conveyor serves asmeansfor feeding the containers to the subsequent washing process.

Other objects and features of this invention will become more apparentfrom the following description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front view showing theprincipal part of an embodiment of this invention as seen along the lineAA in FIG. 3;

FIG. 2 is a front view partly in section along the line BB in FIG. 3;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of the principal part as seen in thedirection of arrows along the line C-C in FIG.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the relative positions of the cams foroperating the testing heads;

FIG. 5 is a front view showing the principal part of the testing head;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation in vertical section showing the same;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation in vertical section showing the same in itschucking position;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view showing a changeover valve for supplying lowpressure fluid and high pressure fluid; and

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an exemplary layout of automatic testing,washing and filling lines for pressure resistant containers such asglass bottles.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referringto the drawings, apressure resistance testing apparatus 1 has a great number of heads 2for testing pressure resistance which are mounted at equal spacing onendless conveyor belts 5 such as chains reeved around drive wheels 3 and4. When driven, the conveyor belts 5 send the testing heads 2 to apressure resistance testing station one after another. Disposed betweenthe drive wheels 3 and 4 is tension means comprising a support 6a, abearing 6b and a screw 6c screwed in the support 6a for adjusting thedistance between the support 6a and the bearing 6b, to keep the endlessconveyor belts 5 taut.

Below the endless conveyor belts 5 there is provided a belt conveyor 7to be driven horizontally at the same speed as the conveyor belts 5.Glass bottles 8, containers to be tested, are fed to the testing stationon the conveyor 7. The terminal end of transport path of the conveyor 7is located near the position where supply of high pressure water isinitiated.

Disposed above the belt conveyor 7 is a screw conveyor 10 for aligningthe bottles 8 on the conveyor 7 in such position that nozzles 9 on theheads 2 can be inserted into the mouths of the bottles respectively, thebottles 8 thus being arranged at the same spacing as the heads 2. Thebottles 8 placed irregularly on the belt conveyor 7 are aligned inposition by the helical projection 10a of the rotating screw conveyor10.

Below the endless conveyor belts 5 there is another belt conveyor 11positioned horizontally substantially at the same level as the path oftransport of the belt conveyor 7 and to be driven in the same directionas the conveyor 7. The starting end of transport path of the beltconveyor 11 is spaced by a suitable distance from the terminal end oftransport path of belt conveyor 7 so that the bottles 8 may betransported while The testing heads 2 are shown in FIGS. 3, 5, 6 and 7.The drawings sho'w four testing lines, for which four sets of chuckingarms 16 are pivoted respectively as at 17 to a barlike main body 15supported at its opposite ends on two parallel chains 5. The arms 16 ineach pair are articulated by' links 18 to a support member 19a fordriven rollers 49. Each nozzle 9 is supported by the main body 15 inupwardly and downwardly movable manner. The arms 16 are such that whenthe rollers 19 are depressed, with the nozzle 19 inserted in the mouth8a of the bottle '8 and with a packing 20 on the under face of the mainbody for sealing the mouth pressed against the brim of the bottle mouth,pawls 16a grip the neck 8b of the mouth 8a as seen in FIG. 7. The rollersupport member 19a, urged upwardby a spring 21, opens the pawls 16a asshown in FIG. 5 when the rollers 19 are pushed upward.

The main body 15 is integrally formed with cylinders 22 each with aclosed upper end and positioned in corresponding relation to the testinglines respectively. A piston 25 urged downward by a spring 23 andembraced by a stopper 24 so as to be movable upward and downward withina specified range fits in the cylinder 22 and has the packing 20 fixedto its under face.

The nozzle 9 is in the form of a plunger extending through the packing20 and through the piston 25 in upwardly and downwardly movable mannerand has a pressure receiving face 9a positioned in the cylinder 22. Inaside portion to be positioned within the cylinder 22, the nozzle isformed with an inlet 9b for permitting a pressure fluid supplied in thecylinder 22 to be injected into the bottle 8. The nozzle 9 further has arod 26 extending upward therefrom th the cylinder 22 and having at itsupper end a fixed member 27 with driven rollers 28 rotatably supportedon the member 27.

The main body 15 rotatably carries driven rollers 29 at its oppositeends. As seen in FIGS. 1 to 4, the driven rollers 19 are guided by guiderails 30, the rollers 28 by guide rails 31 and rollers 29 by guide rails32. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the guide rails 32 are also provided at anupper portion of the apparatus to protect the travelling endless chainbelts 5 from an excess load.

The guide rails are so arranged in the path of the respective drivenrollers that the guide rails 31 control the insertion of the nozzle 9into the bottle mouth, the guide rails 32 being adapted to controlpressing of the packing against bottle mouth, namely the sealing of thebottle mouth 8a with the main body 15 of the testing head 2, the guiderails 30 being adapted to control the chucking arms 16 in chucking thebottle mouth.

The main body 15 is further formed with a fluid passage 33 forintroducing the pressure fluid into the cylinders 22. The passage 33 isconnected to a pressure fluid changeover valve 34 by way of a port 35and a flexible tube 36. The ports and flexible tubes are respectivelyidentical to the testing heads 2 in number.

As illustrated in FIG. 8, the pressure fluid changeover valve 34comprises a stationary valve member 37 and a rotary valve member 38fitted around the valve member 37, the stationary valve member 37 havinga low pressure water chamber 41 to be supplied with low pressure waterfrom a supply source 39 (see FIG. 6) through a duct 40 and a highpressure water chamber 44 to be supplied with high pressure water from asupply source 42 through a duct 43. The chambers 41 and 44 are openalong the periphery of the stationary valve member 37 over suitablecircumferential lengths respectively. The openings are closed by therotary valve member 38. The ports 35 are open to the inner face of therotary valve member 38. Through the rotation of the rotary valve member38, the ports 35 communicate with the chambers 41 and 44 one afteranother to supply low pressure water and high pressure water to thetesting heads 2 in succession.

The rotary valve member 38 is driven at such rate that it makes one turnof rotation while the endless conveyor belts 5 carrying the testingheads 2 thereon make one revolution. The circumferential lengths of thechambers 41 and 44 correspond to the amount of travel of the bottles 8and are so determined that during the rotation of the rotary valvemember 38, low pressure water and high pressure water can be supplied tothe bottles 8 through the nozzles 9 in a required amount for a desiredperiod of time.

Thus according to the invention, testing heads I 2 mounted onthe endlessconveyor belts 5 and guided by the guide rails 32 are successively sentonto the bottles 8 which are aligned in position and fed by the screwconveyor 7 in such manner that at a point I in FIGS. 2 and 4 thechucking arms 16 on the heads 2 fit over the mouths 8a of the bottlesand the nozzles 9 start to move down into the mouths 8a by being guidedby the guide rails 31. The downward movement of the nozzles 9 terminatesat a point II.

As already described, the rotary valve member 38 of the pressure fluidchangeover valve 34 rotates in timed relation to the endless conveyorbelts 15. When the cylinder 22 of the testing head 2 reaches the pointII, the port 35 communicating with the cylinder 22 through the duct 36and the fluid passage 33 comes to the position of the low pressure waterchamber 41, permitting the chamber 41 to communicate with the nozzle 9to supply the low pressure water to the bottle 8. Because of thenecessity to expel air from the bottle 8 during the supply of the water,the guide rails 32 guide the main body so as to maintain an appropriateclearance between the top of the bottle mouth and the packing on themain body 15.

The length of the low pressure water chamber 41 along the circumferenceof the stationary valve member 37 is such that when reaching a point IIIthe bottle 8 will be filled with the low pressure water aftercommencement of supply of the water at the point ll. Accordingly, duringthe travel of the bottle from point II to point I, the bottle is filledwith the low pressure water and, when the bottle reaches the point III,the port 35 communicating with the bottle 8 reaches the closed portion37a of the stationary valve member 37.

The guide rails 32 are bent as at 32a so as to move the main body 15downward immediately after the testing head 2, supplying the lowpressure water to the bottle 8, has passed the point III, whereby,whereby the packing 20 on the main body 15 is urged into pressingcontact with the bottle mouth. Although the piston moves up slightlywithin the cylinder 22, the spring 23 acts to keep packing 20 inwatertight sealing contact with the brim of mouth of the bottle 8.

The guide rails are bent as at 30a so that immediately after the mouthbrim of the bottle 8 has been sealed as described above, the guide rails30 will depress the driven rollers 19 to cause chucking arms 16 to gripthe neck 8b of the bottle mouth 8a. Thus the bottle 8 is held by thetesting head 2.

When the bottle 8 chucked by the testing head 2 reaches point IV, theport 35 communicating with the bottle 8 communicates with the highpressure water chamber 44 in the stationary valve member 37 to startsupply of high pressure water to the bottle 8.

At this time, the bottle reaches the terminal end of transport path ofthe belt conveyor 7 and is held by the testing head 2 in suspension. Atthe same position, the under edges 31a of the guide rails 31 are leftopen.

Accordingly, the nozzle 9 is kept inserted in the bottle mouth tocontinuously supply the high pressure water due to the frictional forcebetween the nozzle 9 and the sealing piston 25 and packing and waterpressure acting on the under face of the nozzle 9 which are in balancewith water pressure acting on the pressure receiving upper face 9a ofthe nozzle 9. If at this time the bottle bursts, the water pressurewithin the bottle will be reduced to zero, whereupon the water pressureon the pressure receiving face 9a urges the nozzle 9 downward toposition the inlet 9b within the inner bore of the seal piston 25. Thewater passageway of the nozzle 9 is therefore blocked to preventdischarge of high pressure water. In this way, the opened under edges ofthe guide rails 31 serve to prevent discharge of the high pressure waterin the event of the bottle bursting.

Below the path of transport of the suspended bottles 8, there isprovided a receptacle 45 for receiving pieces of ruptured bottle.

When the suspended bottle 8 reaches a point V, the port 35 communicatingwith the bottle moves past the high pressure water chamber 44, whereuponthe supply of water is terminated. In other words the length of thechamber 44 along the circumference of the stationary valve member 37corresponds to the distance (time) of travel of the bottle 8 from pointIV to point V.

Upon the bottle 8 reaching a position VI, the guide rails 31 start towithdraw the nozzle 9, which is completely withrawn at a position VII,whereupon the bent portions 30b in the guide rails 30 cause the drivenrollers 19 to return upward, opening the chucking arms 16 to place thebottle 8 on the discharge belt conveyor 11, by which bottles are sentout from the testing station after testing.

The testing heads are circulated along the guide rails 32 by the endlessconveyor belts 5.

The pressure resistance testing apparatus 1 described serves to avoidbursting accidents due to deteriorated pressure resistance of containersfor carbonated drinks and the like which are collected after use. Asseen in FIG. 9, the apparatus can be installed at an intermediateportion of a line for taking out collected bottles from cases by anuncaser 51 and supplying them to an automatic washing machine 52.

Thus an automatic line can be provided which comprises the uncaser 51,pressure resistance testing apparatus 1, automatic washing apparatus'52, filler 53 for automatically filling containers with beverages andan encaser 54. Indicated at 55 is a conveyor for sending empty cases 50to an encasing station.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for testing pressure resistance of containers comprisingan endless rotary mechanism for bringing a great number of pressureresistance testing heads successively at equal spacing in a horizontallylinear direction to a testing station at a speed equal to the speed oftravel of containers to be tested and turning the testing heads overafter testing, and returning them to their original position, each ofthe testing heads having a nozzle to be guided by guide rails into thecontainer to be tested for supplying a low pressure fluid from a lowpressure fluid chamber and a high pressure fluid from a high pressurefluid chamber successively into the container by means of a changeovervalve comprising a stationary valve member and a rotary valve member,means for keeping the main body of the head in sealing contact with themouth brim of the container by being guided by other guide rails duringsupply of the high pressure fluid and chucking means to be guided byother guide rails to hold the container to the testing head main body bychucking the same in suspension during supply of the high pressurefluid; feed means for sending the containers to the testing station atthe same spacing as the testing heads, said feed means having means foraligning the containers in position in corresponding relation to thetesting heads; and means for receiving the containers freed fromchucking by the testing heads at the terminal end of the testing stationand discharging the containers from the testing station.

2. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said feed meanscomprises a belt conveyor equipped at its upper side and a screwconveyor for aligning the containers to be tested in position incorresponding relation to the testing heads.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein the low and high fluidchambers of said changeover valve are arranged circumferentially of saidstationary valve member and wherein said rotary valve member has portscommunicating with the testing heads respectively and identical to thetesting heads in number, said rotary valve member being rotatable insynchronism with the testing heads to cause each of the ports tocommunicate with the low pressure fluid chamber and then with the highpressure fluid chamber.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim lwherein each of the testingheads has a sealing piston disposed within a cylinder formed in its mainbody, the nozzle extending through the sealing piston and having apressure fluid inlet opened to the interior of the cylinder and apressure receiving face positioned within the cylinder,

' and the guide rails for guiding the nozzle into and out of thecontainer have open spaces along the under edges thereof where thecontainer travels while being supplied with the high pressure fluid soas to permit the internal pressure of the cylinder to act on thepressure receiving face and urge the nozzle downward upon bursting ofthe container, whereby the pressure fluid inlet of the nozzle is closedwith the sealing piston.

1. An apparatus for testing pressure resistance of containers comprisingan endless rotary mechanism for bringing a great number of pressureresistance testing heads successively at equal spacing in a horizontallylinear direction to a testing station at a speed equal to the speed oftravel of containers to be tested and turning the testing heads overafter testing, and returning them to their original position, each ofthe testing heads having a nozzle to be guided by guide rails into thecontainer to be tested for supplying a low pressure fluid from a lowpressure fluid chamber and a high pressure fluid from a high pressurefluid chamber successively into the container by means of a changeovervalve comprising a stationary valve member and a rotary valve member,means for keeping the main body of the head in sealing contact with themouth brim of the container by being guided by other guide rails duringsupply of the high pressure fluid and chucking means to be guided byother guide rails to hold the container to the testing head main body bychucking the same in suspension during supply of the high pressurefluid; feed means for sending the containers to the testing station atthe same spacing as the testing heads, said feed means having means foraligning the containers in position in corresponding relation to thetesting heads; and means for receiving the containers freed fromchucking by the testing heads at the terminal end of the testing stationand discharging the containers from the testing station.
 2. Theapparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said feed means comprises abelt conveyor equipped at its upper side and a screw conveyor foraligning the containers to be tested in position in correspondingrelation to the testing heads.
 3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1,wherein the low and high fluid chambers of said changeover valve arearranged circumferentially of said stationary valve member and whereinsaid rotary valve member has ports communicating with the testing headsrespectively and identical to the testing heads in number, said rotaryvalve member being rotatable in synchronism with the testing heads tocause each of the ports to communicate with the low pressure fluidchamber and then with the high pressure fluid chamber.
 4. The apparatusas set forth in claim 1 wherein each of the testing heads has a sealingpiston disposed within a cylinder formed in its main body, the nozzleextending through the sealing piston and having a pressure fluid inletopened to the interior of the cylinder and a pressure receiving facepositioned within the cylinder, and the guide rails for guiding thenozzle into and out of the container have open spaces along the underedges thereof where the container travels while being supplied with thehigh pressure fluid so as to permit the internal pressure of thecylinder to act on the pressure receiving face and urge the nozzledownward upon bursting of the container, whereby the pressure fluidinlet of the nozzle is closed with the sealing piston.